March 8, 2026

LENT III [A] (March 8): Ex 17:3-7; Rom 5:1-2, 5-8; Jn 4:5-42

 Today’s readings are centered on Baptism and new life. Living Water represents God’s Holy Spirit Who comes to us in Baptism,

penetrating every aspect of our lives and quenching our spiritual thirst. The Holy Spirit of God, the Word of God, and the Sacraments of God in the Church are the primary sources of the living water of Divine Grace. We are assembled here in the Church to drink this water of eternal life and salvation. Washed in it at Baptism, renewed by its abundance at each Eucharist, invited to it in every proclamation of the Word, and daily empowered by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, we are challenged by

today’s Gospel to remain thirsty for the living water, which only God can give “My soul THIRSTS for God, the living God!”

 It is said that some years ago a vessel sailing on the northern coast of the South American continent was observed to make signals of distress. When hailed by another vessel, they reported themselves as “Dying for water!” “Dip it up then,” was the

response. “You are in the mouth of Amazon River.” There was fresh water all around them, and they had nothing to do but dip it up, and yet they were dying of thirst because they thought themselves surrounded by sea water. People are often ignorant of God and without His Word. How sad that they should perish for lack of knowledge!

During this Lenten Season, we are challenged to come to the well and meet Jesus there. He will give us living water, which is water that does not run out because it grows from within, and it quenches our deepest thirst – the thirst for God. “My soul thirsts for God, the living God!” And this is the Good News of today.  We need to be witnesses to Jesus as the Samaritan woman was. Let us have the courage to “be” Jesus for others, especially in those “unexpected” places for “unwanted” people. Let us also have the courage of our Christian convictions to stand for truth and justice in our day-to-day life.

March 1, 2026

LENT II [A] Sunday: Gn 12:1-4a; II Tm 1:8b-10; Mt 17:1-9

The common theme of today’s readings is transformation. The readings invite us to work, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, to transform and renew our lives during Lent, so that we may radiate the glory and grace of

the transfigured Lord.

In the Transfiguration story in today’s Gospel, Jesus is revealed as a glorious figure, superior to Moses and Elijah. The primary purpose of Jesus’ Transfiguration was to allow Jesus to consult his Heavenly Father in order to ascertain His plan for His Son’s suffering, death, and Resurrection.

The secondary aim was to make his chosen disciples aware of Jesus’ Divine glory, so that they might discard their worldly ambitions and their dreams of him as a conquering political Messiah, and that they might be strengthened in their time of trial. On the mountain, Jesus is identified out of the Cloud by the Heavenly Voice (God the Father), as “My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased!” On Jesus, the Holy Spirit would also descend as a dove, confirming for John, as the Promised Messiah, as John publicly

proclaimed. Thus, the Transfiguration narrative is a manifestation or revelation of who Jesus really is. Describing Jesus’ Transfiguration, the Gospel gives us a glimpse of the Heavenly glory awaiting those who do

God’s will by putting their trusting Faith in Him, as the Responsorial Psalm

(Ps 33), for today, encourages us to do. A message of hope and encouragement. In moments of doubt and during feelings of despair, the expectation of our transformation in Heaven helps us to reach out to God and listen to His consoling words: “This is my beloved son/daughter in whom I am well pleased.” We need these ‘mountain-top’ experiences in our own lives. We can

share experiences like those of Peter, James, and John when we spend some extra time with Jesus in prayer during Lent. Perhaps we may want to fast for one day, taking only water, thus releasing spiritual energy, which in turn, can lift our thoughts to a higher plane. Such a fast may also help us to remember the starving millions in the world and make us more willing to help them.

February 22, 2026

Give Up for Lent:

GIVE UP grumbling! Instead, “In everything give thanks.” Constructive criticism is OK, but “moaning, groaning, and complaining” are not Christian disciplines. GIVE UP 10 to 15 minutes in bed! Instead, get up, and use that time in prayer, Bible study and personal devotion. GIVE UP looking at other people’s worst points. Instead, concentrate on their best points. We all have faults. It is a lot easier to have people overlook our shortcomings when we overlook theirs first.

GIVE UP speaking unkindly. Instead, let your speech be generous and understanding. It costs so little to say something kind and uplifting. Why not check that sharp tongue at the door?

GIVE UP your hatred of anyone or anything! Instead, learn the discipline of love. “Love covers a multitude of sins.”

GIVE UP your worries and anxieties! Instead, trust God with them. Anxiety spends emotional energy on something we can do nothing about — like tomorrow! Live today and let God’s grace be sufficient.

GIVE UP TV one evening a week! Instead, visit some lonely or sick person. There are those who are isolated by illness or age. Why isolate yourself in front of the “tube?” Give someone a precious gift: your time!

GIVE UP buying anything but essentials for yourself! Instead, give the money to God. The money you would spend on the luxuries could help someone meet basic needs. We are called to be stewards of God’s riches, not consumers.

GIVE UP judging by appearances and by the standard of the world! Instead, learn to give up yourself to God. There is only one who has the right to judge, Jesus Christ

LENT I [A] Gen 2:7-9, 3:1-7; Rom 5:12-19; Mt 4:1-11

Lent is primarily the time of intense spiritual preparation for conquering our temptations, using the means Jesus used during his forty days of preparation in the desert for his public life. It is also the time of repenting for our sins and renewing our lives so that we can celebrate Easter with our Risen Lord Who conquered sin and death by his suffering, death and Resurrection. Today’s

readings teach us that we are always tempted by the devil, by the world, and by our own selfish interests. So, we need to cooperate actively with God’s grace, if we are to conquer our temptations and practice prayer, self-control, and charity.

We are to grow in holiness by prayer, reconciliation and sharing during Lent:   



a) by finding time to be with God every day of Lent, speaking to Him in fervent prayer, and listening to Him through the meditative reading of the Bible.

b) by repenting of our sins daily and asking God’s forgiveness every night at bedtime.

c) by being reconciled with God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

d)  by being reconciled with others, forgiving them the hurts they have caused us and asking their pardon for the hurts we have inflicted on them.

e) by sharing our love with others through selfless, humble service, almsgiving, and helping those in need.

f) by living the Gospel, or the Good News, of God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness in our lives, thus bearing true Christian witness.

 Lent is the time for the desert experience. We can set aside a place and time to be alone daily with God, a time to distance ourselves from the many noises that bombard our lives every day, a time to hear God’s word, a time to rediscover who we are before God, and a time to say yes to God and no to Satan as Jesus did.

February 15, 2026

OT VI [A]: Sir 15:15-20, I Cor 2:6-10, Mt 5:17-37

 Today’s readings challenge us to choose freely and wisely to observe the laws given by a loving and caring God. He revealed His laws to His Chosen People through Moses and the prophets in the Old Testament, and through His own Son, Jesus, in the New Testament. For the Israelites, the Torah was not a set of laws, but the instruction or teaching intended to promote the holiness and wholeness of each believer. It was the revealed will of a caring God, for the people with whom had He made His covenant. In today’s gospel Jesus as a new lawgiver reinterprets four Mosaic laws.



 In the selection from the Sermon on the Mount in today’s Gospel, while challenging his disciples to live a life of justice and righteousness which should exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus, as the new lawgiver, sets forth his own position with regard to the Law given through Moses, by providing new interpretation and meaning for the old laws. In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus explains the real meaning of three Mosaic laws concerning murder, adultery, divorce and false oaths. Anger is murder, impure look is adultery and unlawful divorce is double violation of natural law and covenant with God and false oaths are sacrilegious.

Going beyond… A soldier who was a Christian made it his practice to conclude every day with Bible reading and prayer. As his fellow soldiers gathered in the barrack and retired for the night, he would kneel by his bunk and offer prayers to the Lord. The other soldiers saw this and began to mock and harass him. But one night the abuse went beyond verbal assault. As the soldier bowed before His Lord in prayer, one antagonist threw his boot through the dark and hit him in the face. The other soldiers snickered and jeered, hoping for a fight. But there was no retaliation. The next morning when the taunting soldier awoke, he was startled to discover something at the foot of his bed. For all to see there were his boots, returned and polished. — That is the Christian spirit taught by today’s Gospel.

February 8, 2026

OT V [A] (Feb 8, 2026): Is 58:7-10; I Cor 2:1-5; Mt 5: 13-16 

The common theme of today’s three readings is our two-fold mission to the world, to be salt and to be the light of a city built on a hilltop. The salt and the light are still at work when we… “do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can” (John Wesley’s advice). We taste salt and see light when

we receive the following Franciscan blessing: “May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half- truths, and superficial relationships so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and the exploitation

of people, so that you may wish for justice, freedom, and peace. May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.”

Life messages:

1) We need to be the salt of the earth:

a) As salt is a symbol of purity, used in sacrifices, the Christian must be an example of purity in speech, in conduct, and

even in thought.

b) As salt is an antiseptic and healing agent, the Christian must have a certain antiseptic influence on life and society, defeating corruption, fighting against injustice and making it easier for others to avoid sin.

c) As salt preserves foods, we need to preserve the religious Faith, Christian cultural values, and moral principles which Jesus has given us, and to work at reconciling quarreling factions in families and communities.

d) As salt is a food-flavoring agent, we need to add flavor to the lives of desperate people through outreach programs, which give meaning to their lives, boost their morale, offer them occasions to help others, and provide hope where there is none.

2) We need to be the light of the world:

The second role of Christians is to receive the light of Christ and radiate it to everyone as love, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, humble

service, and respect for those with different ethnic backgrounds, different lifestyles, other faiths — or no faith at all. As a guiding light in darkness, our duty as Christians is to show the correct and safe way and to shine through the darkness with Christ’s Light,

thus removing the darkness caused by hatred, prejudice, spite, and jealousy. As a warning light, as Christians, our duty is to give timely and loving warning of physical and moral danger to those we encounter. As a warming light, our duty as Christians is to

warm the cold hearts of others with warm, affectionate words and deeds.

February 1, 2026

OT IV [A]: Zep 2:3, 3:12-13; I Cor 1:26-31; Mt 5:1-12a

In today’s Gospel, Jesus instructs his disciples in the paradoxical

blessedness of poverty, hunger, sorrow, and persecution. In poverty, we recognize God’s reign; in hunger, His providence; in sorrow, true happiness; and in persecution, true joy. In other words, the blessed in Jesus’ list are poor in spirit, compassionate, meek, merciful, clean of heart, peacemakers and those who are willing even to be insulted and persecuted for their lived Faith in him.

The attitude that beatifies: There was a farmer. He lived a happy life spending most of the time taking care of his farm with the aid of his horse. One day he lost his horse. Neighbors came to sympathize with him. “What a shame!” they said. “Who knows? God Knows!” He replied. A week later this horse returned with another horse. The neighbors came to share his joy. “What a blessing!” they said. “Who knows? God knows!” he replied. One day while riding the horse, his son fell off the horse and broke his leg. Again, neighbors came to offer their sympathy. “What a shame!” they said. “Who knows? God knows!” he replied. A week later a war broke out in their country. The king ordered all men over 18 years of age to join the military. They spared his son because of his broken leg. Once again neighbors rushed to his house. “What a blessing!” they said. — “Who knows? God Knows!” the farmer replied.  We need to respond to the challenge of the Beatitudes in daily life. The Beatitudes propose to us a way of life inviting us to identify with the poor, those who mourn, the meek, and those who hunger and thirst after justice.

They challenge us to be compassionate people, to be men and women who are pure in heart, and to become the peacemakers in our dealings with one another, in our families, and in the society at large, even when this approach to things exposes us to ridicule and persecution. Let us remember that each time we reach out to help the needy, the sick, and the oppressed, we share with them a foretaste of the promises of the Beatitudes here and now.

January 25, 2026

OT III [A] Is 8:23—9:3, 1 Cor 1:10-13, 17, Mt 4:12-23

Today’s readings show that the early Christians understood how Jesus had fulfilled the expectations of ancient Israel. Describing the humble beginning of the public ministry of Jesus, today’s Scripture readings teach us that Christ has brought us from the darkness of sin into the Light of God (Mt 4:16) by calling us to repentance (Mt 4:17) and complete acceptance of the Kingdom of God and God’s consequent rule over us.

St. John Henry Newman, (Cardinal Newman)’s prayer for light in the

darkness of life: Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom, Lead thou me on! The night is dark, and I am far from home,– Lead thou me on! Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see The distant scene,–one step enough for me We need to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom: When we receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, we are sent forth to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom and to defend the Catholic Faith. Each of us Christians has received a unique call to preach the Good News of God’s love, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation through our daily life. This call challenges us to rebuild our lives, homes, and communities in the justice and peace that Jesus proclaims.

As we continue with the celebration of the Holy Mass, let us ask the Lord Jesus to give us the strength and perseverance to answer his calling, so that we may faithfully serve the Lord, doing His Divine will as best as we can by cooperating with His grace. We need to become the light of the world as Jesus was the Light in darkness: The mission and role of Christians is to receive the light of Christ and radiate it to everyone as love, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, humble service, and respect for those with different ethnic backgrounds, different lifestyles, other Faiths, or no Faith at all. With a little bit of Christ’s Light, we become a veritable lighthouse, illuminating the way for many and removing the darkness caused by hatred, spite and jealousy.

January 18, 2026

OT II [A]: Is 49:3, 5-6; I Cor 1:1-3; Jn 1:29-34

The central theme of today’s readings is a challenge to live like the Lamb of God and to die like the Lamb of God and thus bear witness to Christ the “Lamb of God.” We have to choose to accept John’s testimony in today’s Gospel as God’s personal and corporate call to us to become witnesses to the Lamb of God. The Gospel passage presents three themes, namely, the witness John the Baptist bears to Jesus, the revelation (epiphany) and identification of Jesus as the “Lamb of God,” and the call to discipleship. 

THE LAMB WINS: When Communism fell in Czechoslovakia the churches opened and people were free to worship. One Church in Prague put a sign on a lawn of a Prague church. It read: THE LAMB WINS.  — This week, make the Carthusian monks’ motto your own: “To seek God assiduously, find God promptly, and possess God fully.”

We need to be witnesses to the Lamb of God by our exemplary lives.  Today’s Gospel reminds us that being a disciple of Jesus means that we need to grow in Faith so that we can become effective witnesses for him.  Bearing witness to Christ is an active, not passive, lifetime enterprise. One cannot be a disciple of Jesus at a distance, any more than one can be a distant lover.  We are invited to “Come and see.” The essence of our witnessing is to state what we have seen and believed and then to invite others to “come and see” Jesus for themselves and, so, become disciples with us. As with Andrew and John, our Faith begins with our responding to Jesus’ invitation

to “come and see.”  We tell others about good restaurants, barbers, etc.  Why isn’t there the same fervor over inviting and encouraging people to come and participate in our Church activities? If we are not willing to invite others into this experience, what does that say about our experiences with Christ and with our Church?

January 11, 2026

Baptism of the Lord [A] Is 42:1-4, 6-7; Acts 10:34-38; Mt 3:13-17

The Baptism of the Lord is the great event celebrated by the EasternChurches on the feast of Epiphany because it is the occasion of the first public revelation of all the Three Persons in the Holy Trinity, and the official revelation of Jesus as the Son of God to the world by God the Father. Hence, it is described by all four Gospels. It marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry.

The 13th century king of France, St. Louis IX (1226-70), insisted that the grand celebration of his birthday should be held on the day of his Baptism, and not on his birthday proper. His argument was that Baptism was the beginning of a life that would continue for eternity in the everlasting glory of Heaven.

Identified with victims: When leprosy broke out among the people of the Hawaiian Islands in the middle of the 19 th century, the government authorities responded by establishing a leper colony on the remote island

of Molokai. The victims were snatched by force from their families and sent to this island to perish. However, moved by their terrible plight, a young Belgian priest, Damien De Veuster, asked permission from his superiors to minister to them. Straightaway he realized that there was only one effective way to do this, and that was to go and live among them. Having got permission, he went to Molokai. At first, he tried to minister to the lepers while maintaining a certain distance. But he soon realized that he had to live among them in order to gain their trust. As a result, he contracted leprosy himself. The reaction of the lepers was immediate and wholehearted. They embraced him and took him to their hearts. He was now one of them. There was no need, no point anymore, in keeping his distance. The lepers had someone who could talk with authority about leprosy, about brokenness, about rejection and public shame. Today’s

Gospel tells us how, by receiving the baptism of repentance, Jesus became identified with the sinners whom he had come to save.

 Baptism of a cat: Johnny’s Mother looked out the window and noticed him “playing church” with their cat. He had the cat sitting quietly and he was preaching to it. She smiled and went about her work. A while later she heard loud meowing and hissing and ran back to the open window to see Johnny baptizing the cat in a tub of water. She called out, “Johnny, stop that! The cat is afraid of water!” Johnny looked up at her and said, “He should have thought about that before he joined my church.”

Life messages: (1) The baptism of Jesus reminds us of our identity. It reminds us of who we are and Whose we are. By Baptism we become sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, members of his Church, heirs of heaven and temples of the Holy Spirit.

(2) Jesus’ baptism reminds us also of our mission:

(3) It is a day to thank God for the graces we have received in Baptism, to renew our Baptismal promises and to preach Christ’s ‘Good News’ by our transparent Christian lives of love, mercy, service and forgiveness.

January 4, 2026

EPIPHANY OF THE LORD: Is 60:1-6; Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6; Mt 2:1-12 

The Greek word Epiphany (επιφάνεια), means appearance or manifestation. Multiple revelations of Jesus as God are celebrated on this

Feast of the Epiphany. In the Western Church, the Feast of the Epiphany celebrates Jesus’ first appearance to the Gentiles, represented by the Magi Three Wise Women? While they were talking about the story of the three wise men, a woman asked her parish priest this question, “Do you know why God gave the star to the wise men?” When he professed his ignorance, she told him: “God knows men are too proud to ask directions. If there had been three wise women instead of three wise men, they would

have asked for directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, and given some practical gifts!”

Like the Magi, let us offer to Jesus God’s Own gifts to us on this feast of Epiphany.

(a) The first gift might be friendship with God. After all, the whole point of Christmas is that God’s Son became one of us to redeem us and call us friends. God desires our friendship in the form of wholehearted love and devotion. 

(b) A second gift might be altruistic, genuine friendship with others. This kind of friendship can be costly, because the price it exacts is

vulnerability and openness to others.  The Good News, however, is that, in offering friendship to others, we will receive back many blessings.

(c) A third gift might be the gift of reconciliation. This gift repairs damaged relationships. It requires honesty, humility, recognition of

our own part in the damage done by our sins to those around, understanding of others, forgiveness, and patience. 

Artaban’s gift: There’s a story called “The Other Wise Man” by

Henry van Dyke. It’s about a fourth man who was supposed to

accompany the other three wise men on their journey to search

for the newborn King but missed the other three. The fourth wise

man is named Artaban. As Artaban prepared for the journey, he

took with him a bag of precious stones to give to the baby King.

On this way to join the other three wise men, Artaban stopped to

help a poor person. The delay was just enough to make him miss

his rendezvous with the others, and Artaban never did catch up

with them. He constantly ran into people who needed help, and

he always stopped helping them. Eventually, Artaban gave away

the last of the treasures he had brought for the Infant King.

 Artaban is now old, poor, and discouraged because he had never

been able to realize his dream of meeting the King of Kings,

staying in Jerusalem. Then, one day Artaban met the authorities

who were about to execute a criminal. When Artaban saw the

criminal, his heart skipped a beat. Something told him this was

the King of Kings for whom he had been searching all his life.

Heartbroken, because he saw that he could do nothing to help the

King. Artiban was shocked to hear a Voice, the King’s voice, say

to him: “Don’t be broken-hearted, Artaban. You’ve been saving

and supporting Me all your life. I was hidden in every single

person you helped with your courage, your presence and your

precious jewels. Now come, good and faithful servant, enter into

the Joy of your Reward.”